I Became the Only Reptile in the Community

Chapter 40

—–CROW—– 

“With the heavens themselves intervening, perhaps we might witness the legendary birth of a terrestrial dragon?”

On the day the heavens opened, blessing the potential of a sole black Imugi born into the world, the Dragon King, who had perceived something more than anyone else, had seemed unusually joyful ever since.  He looked the same as always, tilting his cup towards the sky, but his smile was deeper.

“What’s so amusing?”

“Hmm? What brings you here?”

She rarely visited, claiming to dislike the smell of alcohol. At the Dragon King’s question, she frowned and stated her purpose:  She had come to receive her Yeouiju.  It was time for her to become an Imugi.  The woman, with hair and eyes resembling the Dragon King, was his daughter.

“It’s still too early.”

“Too early? How much longer do I have to wait?!”

She had long passed the age of maturity.  All she needed was a Yeouiju, but he kept postponing it, and now she was even a mythical creature. If she had become an Imugi earlier, she might have been ready to ascend the Dragon Gate!  When would he finally give her the Yeouiju?  Even those younger than her, whom she could consider juniors, had received their Yeouiju and become Imugi.  Yet, she, the Dragon King’s daughter, still wasn’t an Imugi.  How ridiculous.  Thinking of the recent whispers and gossip behind her back, she desperately wanted to receive the Yeouiju now.

“Ahem. I’m sorry, but I’ve already given away the last Yeouiju. It will take some time to create another one, so please be patient.”

It was a lie. A Yeouiju? For the Dragon King, it was something he could create with a flick of his finger. It was simply a roundabout way of refusing, using a preposterous excuse.

“You gave it away?”

“Yes. The Wind Spirit King came to me and asked. He said there was a snake he had his eye on and wanted to give it the chance to become a dragon with a Yeouiju.”

And that snake had recently become an Imugi.  Mentioning the unusual event that had been celebrated by the heavens, the Dragon King looked at his daughter.  Born not as a dragon, she had worked hard for him, her father. How could he, as her parent, not know her efforts?  But even so, he couldn’t give her the Yeouiju.  He was a parent, and he couldn’t bring himself to push his child into a potentially fatal danger.

*Squeeze*

“My daughter, please wait a little longer.”

“Again? I’ve waited this long, and you’re telling me to wait again? Why don’t you just tell me to create my own Yeouiju?”

She had waited long enough. The Dragon King couldn’t bring himself to respond. Seeing this, she realized that things had gone exactly as she’d expected and decided to take matters into her own hands. If he wasn’t going to give her a Yeouiju, she would take one from someone else.

A Yeouiju, fully imprinted on its owner, couldn’t simply be stolen and transferred. Specific conditions had to be met:

One:  Be of the same lineage as the creator of the Yeouiju.  This was easily fulfilled, as she was the Dragon King’s daughter.

Two: The original owner of the Yeouiju must die or completely relinquish ownership.  This wasn’t a concern either.  While not an Imugi yet, she was a mythical creature, and one with the Dragon King’s blood, no less. She was on a different level compared to most mythical creatures.  A mere land snake – ah, it must have become an Imugi after receiving the Yeouiju. Anyway, even if it was an Imugi, it wouldn’t have been one for long, so she could easily deal with it.  Unless, of course, it willingly handed over the Yeouiju.

Three: Only the Yeouiju of an Imugi that hadn’t become a dragon could be taken.  She wouldn’t even consider fighting a dragon, so this condition was essentially null.

If these three conditions were met, she could steal a Yeouiju.  But why hadn’t she used this method until now? The reason was simple.

“You took my things! I’m going to get them back!”

“W-What? Wait!”

This was the Dragon King’s absolute domain.  Even as his daughter, she didn’t know what kind of punishment she would receive if she did such a thing.  That meant she had to obtain a Yeouiju outside his domain, but there was no way an Imugi would be in such a place.  Since Imugi were created by the Dragon King, the possibility was close to zero.  She had no choice but to wait for him to give her a Yeouiju.  But now, an opportunity had presented itself.  Hadn’t the Dragon King just said it? He had given a Yeouiju to a land snake.

If they fought, she, with her long experience as a mythical creature, would surely win.  She had taken this for granted until she left for the surface, until she met it.

“[Grrrr.]”

“This is cheating.”

It had just become an Imugi.  It had been a mere snake before that, not even a mythical creature.  So what was this?  Why could it wield the power of the Yeouiju?  And why was it black, with red eyes, a terrifying sight in the dark?

*Gulp*

Could she win this fight?  An ominous thought, one she had never entertained before, suddenly filled her mind.

***

-Ugh.

-Groan.

-D-Damn it.

The spirits were sprawled on the ground, groaning. Their skills were so underwhelming that he wondered if they were really spirits.  Even Silphy alone could easily defeat these three.

“[I overestimated you.]”

Of course, he wasn’t completely unscathed.  His scales had been scratched by their sharp wind attacks.  But that was all.  They hadn’t drawn any blood.

‘It’s probably thanks to the Metal energy.’

This power played a significant role in strengthening his body.  Even Cheong’s incredible physique and recovery were likely due to Metal energy.

‘But… who is that?’

As soon as his fight with the spirits ended, a mysterious woman appeared.  She had striking blue hair and green eyes.  She froze upon seeing him, startled.  Judging by her reaction, she wasn’t here to attack him like the spirits.

“[Who are you?]”

“H-How dare you! Speak to me with respect!”

What? Was she someone of high status?  She certainly looked the part. But was there anyone with that much influence in this era?

“Heehee. Indeed, you are worthy of receiving Father’s… gift.”

“[I see. You’re the Dragon King’s daughter.]”

“H-How did you know?!”

The only gift he could have received was the Yeouiju.  And the one who created Yeouiju was, of course, the Dragon King.  She had just called the Dragon King “Father,” so she must be his child.

“[So, what brings the Dragon King’s daughter here?]”

“To get back the Yeouiju you stole!”

“[My Yeouiju?]”

Why?  He had received his Yeouiju from the Wind Spirit King.  There was no way the Wind Spirit King would steal something.  He must have obtained it through proper means.  So why did she want it back?  Something was strange.  Sensing the discrepancy, he assessed her power. The being before him was a mythical creature, but not an Imugi like him, and certainly not a dragon like the Dragon King.

“[So, you came to take back my Yeouiju?]”

*Hmm*

He took out his Yeouiju.  The beautifully radiant, multicolored orb, constantly swirling with light, appeared before him.

*Gulp*

“T-The Yeouiju!”

He could hear her gulp.  This was definitely strange.  The Dragon King’s daughter reacting like this to a Yeouiju?  Judging by her confident demeanor and actions, she didn’t seem to have a bad relationship with the Dragon King.

‘And she said she came to take back *my* Yeouiju.’

So, that was it.

“[Did you run away from home without a word to get a Yeouiju?]”

“No, I didn’t! I told Father I was leaving, so it wasn’t without a word… uh.”

His assumption was correct.  She hadn’t received a Yeouiju from the Dragon King and had come to steal his.

“H-How did you know?”

“[Your actions and words gave you away.]”

She was quite something.  To think she would come all the way here to find him for such a reason.  And he was curious about the Dragon King’s intentions.  He could easily create a Yeouiju, yet he hadn’t given one to his daughter.

“…Huh?”

While he was deducing her intentions and past actions from her behavior, she, who had been examining his Yeouiju, frowned, seemingly noticing something strange.

“But your Yeouiju… why does it look so small?”

He flinched.  

It didn’t *look* small.  It *was* small.  The Dragon King’s daughter couldn’t have missed this.  

The flaw of his Yeouiju: its significantly smaller size compared to a normal Yeouiju.  And because of this size, the amount of power it could store was reduced. 

 Of course, the smaller capacity meant significantly improved stability in handling the Yeouiju.  If he allowed it, even others could handle it, though that was unlikely to happen.

—–CROW—–